~$1400 new build, purchasing very soon

[whimsy]

Approximate Purchase Date: Next few days

Budget Range: $1400 after rebates (Edited)

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, movies, internet

Parts Not Required: Hard drive, keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com

Country: USA

Parts Preferences:

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: Yes

Monitor Resolution: 1600x1200

Additional Comments: A light case would be nice.

Here's what I'm looking at right now.
Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) ($199.99)
Intel Core i5-2400 3.1GHz LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor ($189.99)
Crucial Ballistix 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory ($54.99)
COOLMAX ZP-1000B 1000W ATX 12V v2.3 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI / Crossfire ready / 3 way 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC and Compatible with Core i3/i5/i7 Power Supply ($119.99)
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner SATA Model SH-222BB/BEBE ($15.99)
EVGA SuperClocked GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) HD 012-P3-1573-KR Video Card ($349.99)
Antec Three Hundred Black Computer Case ($54.99)
GIGABYTE GA-Z68XP-UD3P ATX Intel Motherboard ($149.99)

Total: $1,135.92 (Budget max is $1400; right now, obviously, I'm almost $300 under budget.)

 

[raptorxrx]

Approximate Purchase Date: Next few days

Budget Range: (e.g.: 600-800) Before / After Rebates

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, movies, internet

Parts Not Required: Hard drive, keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com

Country: USA

Parts Preferences:

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: Yes

Monitor Resolution: 1600x1200

Additional Comments: A light case would be nice.

Here's what I'm looking at right now.
Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) ($199.99)
Intel Core i5-2400 3.1GHz LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor ($189.99)
Crucial Ballistix 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory ($54.99)
COOLMAX ZP-1000B 1000W ATX 12V v2.3 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI / Crossfire ready / 3 way 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC and Compatible with Core i3/i5/i7 Power Supply ($119.99)
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner SATA Model SH-222BB/BEBE ($15.99)
EVGA SuperClocked GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) HD 012-P3-1573-KR Video Card ($349.99)
Antec Three Hundred Black Computer Case ($54.99)
GIGABYTE GA-Z68XP-UD3P ATX Intel Motherboard ($149.99)

Total: $1,135.92 (Budget max is $1400; right now, obviously, I'm almost $300 under budget.)

Overall looks good, but I have a couple of suggestions.

First of all, I really would get a i5-2500k. Overclocking to 4.0 is really simple and can be done in like 5 minutes. Only if your not strictly against OC'ing. If you decide to, than I would get a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo.

Also I would get this RAM. It's a little cheaper, and has tighter timings. Sandy Bridge doesn't really care about the speed, and 1600 is about the sweet spot for speed and price.

I wouldn't trust that PSU with a fake 80+ certification.
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Power-Supplies-With-Fake-80-Plus-Badges/1054/2
Instead I would get a quality Corsair/Antec/XFX/Seasonic around 850w. You could get a modular one for better cable management.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139011

You could get a Blu Ray Reader or Burner

On your case, if you want a good case for moving around look at the CM Storm Scout. It has a steel handle which is amazing. I have that case and really like it. It has decent cable management, especially compared to the Antec 300.

Good motherboard. Looks good imo.

 

[hillmanant]

I don't know what kind of monitor you have but if your going to spend the money on the 570 I'd get one that works at least at 1920x1080 otherwise its kind of a waste of that GPU. That should take care of part of that $300.

I would upgrade to the i5 2500K just for the possibility to overclock in the future, I know you said no OC but there's no going back once you buy a locked chip, plus its only $30 more.

I would get an aftermarket heatsink like a Cooler Master 212 Evo because Intells stock heat sink sucks.

Edit: raptorxrx sniped me LOL

 

[raptorxrx]

I don't know what kind of monitor you have but if your going to spend the money on the 570 I'd get one that works at least at 1920x1080 otherwise its kind of a waste of that GPU. That should take care of part of that $300.

I would upgrade to the i5 2500K just for the possibility to overclock in the future, I know you said no OC but there's no going back once you buy a locked chip, plus its only $30 more.

I would get an aftermarket heatsink like a Cooler Master 212 Evo because Intells stock heat sink sucks.

Edit: raptorxrx sniped me LOL

Haha, 2 is always better than 1!

 

[Emelth]

Deffinetly gonna have to agree with what the other advised

Change the PSU to a top quaility bran (Antec, Seasonic, Corsair, OCZ)

2500k can push your computer farther in the long run with a a little OCing along wit hthe Hyper 212 EVO

Don think anyone noticed this but do not buy an open box motherboard, parts could be missing and then you would be screwed, do you plan to SLI two GPUs or more?

 

[NeutralEnergy]

The thing about the Antec cases is that they have next to no cable management. If you want a case that will have good airflow and will look nice and is of good quality I recommend to take a look at some Corsair cases. Here are some. The 500R will be the cheapest and the 650D the most expensive. I really recommend the 650D though. It's an amazing case.

500R:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139009

600T:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139007

650D:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139006&Tpk=650d

So, I would say you have 2 options if you want to buy an Intel Sandy Bridge Processor.

If your not interested in overclocking at all and you don't wanna do it in the future... Well, I don't really know then. I guess you could go with the i3 2100 but I'm afraid that that will bottle-neck your video cards if you decide to SLI later down the road. Otherwise, it would go nicely with a single GTX 570.

Now, on the other hand, if you think that there is even a slight chance of you overclocking in the future then grab the i5 2500k. The only reason people buy the i5 Sandy Bridge processor is because of its amazing overclocking abilities.

I don't know about that power supply... I especially didn't like that 1-star review of a guy who fried everything he had in a decent build... If I were you I would spend a bit more on a more trusted brand like SilverStone, Antec, Corsair, or Seasonic.

Other than that, keep everything else.

Good luck with the Build! =D

 

[whimsy]

>The only reason people buy the i5 Sandy Bridge processor is because of its amazing overclocking abilities.

Is there a different CPU that y'all would recommend?

Also, is there a 1920x1080 monitor that y'all would recommend?

 

[g-unit1111]

COOLMAX ZP-1000B 1000W ATX 12V v2.3 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI / Crossfire ready / 3 way 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC and Compatible with Core i3/i5/i7 Power Supply ($119.99)

Do *NOT* - repeat - do *NOT* get a Coolmax power supply. Sure, it may be a 1000W PSU but the really good ones go for $200 - $270, a PSU wattage at that price should be a huge red flag. This would be a better PSU for the money: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703028

NeutralEnergy

The thing about the Antec cases is that they have next to no cable management. If you want a case that will have good airflow and will look nice and is of good quality I recommend to take a look at some Corsair cases. Here are some. The 500R will be the cheapest and the 650D the most expensive. I really recommend the 650D though. It's an amazing case.

The Carbide 400 would be a better choice - on a $1400 budget the 650D costs way more (like $200) and that would affect the other hardware the OP could purchase. Corsair cases are excellent, and I about Antecs - I used to own one and it got so frustrating that I eventually chucked it for a Cooler Master HAF 912.

I don't know about that power supply... I especially didn't like that 1-star review of a guy who fried everything he had in a decent build... If I were you I would spend a bit more on a more trusted brand like SilverStone, Antec, Corsair, or Seasonic.

Coolmax is definitely not one of the best brands in the business - you're right not to trust it.

I don't know what kind of monitor you have but if your going to spend the money on the 570 I'd get one that works at least at 1920x1080 otherwise its kind of a waste of that GPU. That should take care of part of that $300.

Nevermind - I misread that comment - I completely agree that you should consider a monitor upgrade if your resolution isn't at least 1080p.

First of all, I really would get a i5-2500k. Overclocking to 4.0 is really simple and can be done in like 5 minutes. Only if your not strictly against OC'ing. If you decide to, than I would get a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo.

On a $1400 build though you could go a bit higher and get something like the Noctua NH-U9B.

On your case, if you want a good case for moving around look at the CM Storm Scout. It has a steel handle which is amazing. I have that case and really like it. It has decent cable management, especially compared to the Antec 300.

Good choice - I agree about Antecs and cable management. I'd recommend something like the Corsair Carbide or NZXT Phantom, or even the Fractal Design Arc MIDI, those are my go-to cases for the money.

Try this build - a bit more balanced:

Case: Corsair Carbide 500R White - $139.99
PSU: PC Power & Cooling Silencer MKII - $149.99
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD4 - $209.99
CPU: 3.30GHz Intel Core i5-2500K - $219.99
Cooler: Noctua NH-U9B - $59.99
RAM: 8GB (2 x 4GB) G.Skill Ripjaw X 1600MHz 1.5V - $43.99
SSD: 128GB Crucial M4 - $199.99
Optical: Lite On DVD Burner - $19.99
Video Card: EVGA Geforce GTX 570 - $339.99

Total: $1383.86

 

[whimsy]

Best answer selected by whimsy.